Friction-clutch.



No. 868,064. 7 5 PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907. H. J. HASS, F. P. NEHRBAS & J. R. SHORT.

, FRICTION CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED r2121, 190a.

' 2 SHEETS-5mm 1.

a T 2 Z 1 Z 9 J 1 Z Z Z I i; I I 1-" J L' :4" J c 6 If k I Jae m W 4 f ZZZ if? No. 863,064. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907 H. J. HASS, P. P. NEHRBAS 6: J. R. SHORT.

FRICTION CLUTCH. APPLIUOATION Flinn 11:11.21, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Al a-1507 116 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN J. HASS, FREDERICK Pl NEHRBAS, AN]? JAMES R. SHORT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNORS TO E. R. THOMAS COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itizlrnown that we, HERMAN I. HASS, FREDERICK 1 the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a friction clutch which is more particularly designed for use in coupling or uncoupling the driving and driven shafts of an automobile but the same may also be used for other purposes.

v shaft, as shown in Fig. 1.

The object of thi invention is to produce a clutch for this purpose which is comparatively simple in construction, reliablein operation and easily manipulated. In theaccompanyin g drawings consisting of 2 sheets: Figure '1 is a central longitudinal section of our im proved clutch showing the parts in position for coupling the driving and driven members; Figs, .2 and 3 are fragmentary views in lines 22 and 33, Fig. 4, respectively, showing the parts in the position which they occupy when the driving and driven members are uncoupled. Fig. 4 is a cross section in line 4%, Fig. 1.- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section in line 5 5, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of 'referente indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. A represents the driving shaft or member and Bvthe driven shaft or member of an automobile driving mechanism, which shafts are arranged axially in line. The driving shaft is provided at its rear end with a fly wheel or circular head 0 which forms part. of the clutch whereby the driving and driven shafts are coupled or uncoupled. The opposing ends of said shafts are preferably held in alinenicnt with cachother by inserting the reduced front end Z; of the driven shaft in a central socket a formed in the rear end of the driving These shaits are also held against axial movement relatively to each other by an internally screw, threaded collar d which engages with a threaded portion d on the driven shaft and provided with an external front bearing. flange D] which is arranged adjacent to the rear end of the driving shaft, an internally threaded sleeve F secured to the rear end of the hubof 1110 fly wheel and provided atits rear end with an internal rear bearing flange f, and an annular row of balls g interposed between said bearing flanges.

H; H represent two opposing driving clutch inen1- bers or rings and I a driven clutch. member or ring whichis interposed between the driving clutch rings. The front driving clutch ring is engaged with the rear end the rim 0 of the fly wheel andprovided with an external annular shoulder hwhicli fits 'i ainst the bore of the fly wheel rim whereby these parts are centered upon each other.

Specification of team Patent.

Applicatioitiilad February 21, 19(16. erial No. 302,159,.

The rear driving clut'ch ring H- inovable toward and from the ,fmntwdriviug ring for Patented Aug- 1 3, loo-'7.

gripping or releasing the driven ring between the saine and is guided during these movements by longitudinal guide pins, studslor rods .7 secured at.their threaded front ends in openings j, j in the periphery of the front clutch ring and wheel rim, while their rear smooth portions pass loosely through openings j in the pe' ripliery or marginal part of the rear clutch ring, as shown in Fig' 1. The driven clutch ring is mounted on the driver. haft so as to be compelled to turn therewith but free to move axially thereon to a limited extent preferably by means'of a hub K having a fiat sided bore which fits over a flat sided part it on the driven shaft, an external flange 10 arranged-on the hub K, and an internal spider '5 formed on the driven clutch ring and connected with the flange k Upon drawing the driving rings H, H together, the driven ring is gripped between the same, causing the driving and driven shafts to be coupled While upon separating or releasing the driving rings from the driven" ring these shafts willbe uncoupled.

The mechanism shown in the drawings whereby the driving rings are tightened upon or released from the driven ring is constructed as follows: L represents a plurality of clamping leversarranged radially and arranged in the rear end of saideye. Upon moving the inner-arms of the several clamping levers forward simultaneously the outer arms turn on the screws m as fulci'ums and cause the rear. clutch ring to which tiie clamping levers are pivoted between their ends to be moved forward, thereby drawing the front and rear clutch rings together and gripping the intermediate driven clutch ring between them, whereby the driving and driven shafts are coupled. Upon permitting the inner arms of the/damping levers to move 'rearwardly, the pressure of the driving clutchrings against opposite sides of the driven disk is removed and the driving and driven shafts are uncoupled.'

-.N represents a shifting sleeve which is movable lengthwise on the driven shaft in rear of the hub K and operates upon the inner arms of the clamping levers by means of an interposed ball bearing for'reducing the friction between these parts. The ball bearing consists essentially of two bearing rings 0, a surrounding the front part of the shifting sleeve and engaging respectively with a rear shoulder or abutment 0' on said oi the shifting sleeve and engaging with the front hearing ring. When free the shifting sleeve is moved for- .wardly by a spring R surrounding the driven shaft and bearing at its front end against a screw nut 1- on the rear 5 end of the shifting sleeve while its rear end bears against a screw nut r arranged 6n the driven shaft, thereby causing the clamping levers to be operated for closing the clutch. The shifting sleeve is moved in the opposite direction for opening the clutch by means of a shifting collar S which is connected in any suitable manner with hand-operated means and a brake collar T of fiber'or similar material. Both of these collars surround the shifting sleeve, the former bearing with its front side against a rigid. rearwardly facing shoulder a on the sleeve and the latter being arranged between the shifting collar S and the front spring supporting nut 1'. Upon moving the shifting collar rearwardly for uncoupling the clutch the same engages frictionally with the fiber collar T producing a braking effect which serves to promptly'arrest the rotation of the driven shaft when the samehas been uncoupled from the driving shaft. v

For the purpose of causing the driving clutch rings to be separated quickly from the driven clutch ring 26-when the clutch is opened or released and thereby reduce the wear upon the parts to a minimum, a plurality of separating springs U are employed which are arranged in an annular row and each of which is arranged at its front end in a. socket it formed in the marginal part of the fly wheel and front clutch ring and bears with its rear end against the front side of the rear clutch ring. The instant the clamping levers are released, the springs U move the rear clutch ring rearwardly,- as shown in Fig. 2, and thus relieve the driven clutch ring from the wearing action of the driving clutch while the latter continue their rotation independent of the driven clutch ring.

In order to prevent noise when thefront and rear clutch rings are operatively engaged with opposite sides of the intermediate clutch ring, a plurality .of cushions or buffers V of felt or similar material are our ployed. These buffers are constructed in the fO1H1 Of cylindrical plugs which-are arranged in an annular row of openings '1) in the intermediate clutch ring. The felt buffers are preferably of such length that when the front and. rear clutch rings are released from the intermediate ring the-ends of the buffers project slightly beyond opposite sides of the intermediate ring, as shown in Fi g 3. Upon subsequently closing. the

projecting ends of the buffers and then compress the same until these rings bear firmly against the interme diate ring, thereby causing the clutch to be closed or coupled without undue noise and rendering the same particularly desirable for use in automobiles. 'The buffers are preferably soaked in oil, so as to lubricate the cooperating surfaces of the clutch rings and prevent the same from wearing rapidly.

We claim as our invention:

1. A friction clutch comprising a driving shaft, a. driven shaft, means for rotatably coupling or uncoupling said shafts, consisting of a. fly wheel secured to the driving shaft, a driven ring connected with the driven shaft, and two driving rings connected with the 1 wheel and adapted 657m he cngagedwith or discngagcd from opposite sides of the driven ring, and means for holding said shafts against clutch the front and rear clutch rings first engage the axial movement relatively to each other consisting of a sleeve secured to the driven shaft and provided at its front end with an external hearing flange. a sleeve secured to the hub of the fly Wheel and provided with an internal bearing flange, and a row of balls interposed between said bearing flanges, substantially as set forth.

2. A friction clutch comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a fly wheel secured to the driving shaft, a. front press said front and rear rings. against opposite'sidcs of the intermediate ring, substantially as set forth.

A friction clutch comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a fly wheel secured to the driving shaft, 2. front clutch ring bearing against the rim of said wheel and having an outwardly facing shoulder which engages with the bore of said rim, guide rods secured at their front ends in openings formed in the marginal part 0L said front ring and the rim of said wheel, a rear clutch ring movably mounted on the real part of said guide rods, an intermediate ring connected with the driven shaft and interposed between said front and rear rings, and means operating to press sa'id front and rear rings against opposite sides of the intermediate ring, comprising an eye arranged on the rear end of each guide rod, clamplnglevers pivoted on the rear clutch disk and each arranged with its outer arm in one of said eyes, adjusting scrcws arranged in the rear ends of said eyes and engaging the rear side of said'outer arms, and a shifting device operatively engaging the inner ends of said levers, substs.ntiaily as sef forth.

4. A friction clutch comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a fly wheel arranged on the driving shaft, two driv 'ing rings connected with the fly wheel, an intermediate driven ring arranged between the driving rings, means for,

engaging said driving rings with opposite sides of the intermediate ring, and. a hub-connected with said driven ring and having a fiat slded bore which fits slidingly on a correspondingly-Shaped part of the driven shaft for compelling the driven ring and driven. shaft to turn together but permittiug the driven ring to move axially independent of the driven shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. A friction clutch comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a fly wheel arranged on the driving shaft, two driving rings connected with the fly wheel, an intermediate driven ring arranged between the driving rings, means for engaging said driving rings with opposite sides of the intermediate ring, comprising clamping levers pivoted on one driving ring and having their outer arms operatively connected with the fly wheel, a shifting sleeve movable lengthwise on the driven shaft, front and rear hearing rings surrounding said sleeve and engaging, respectively, with the inner arms of the clamping levers and a shoulder on said sleeve, a row of balls interposed between said bearing .rlngs, and a locking washer secured to sald sleeve and engaging wlthjhefront side of the front bearing ring, substantially as set forth.

6. A friction clutch comprising a driving slisft, a driven shaft, any wheel arranged on the driving shaft, two drive ing rings connected withthe fly wheel. an intermediate driven ring arranged between the driving rings, means for "engaging said driving rings with opposite sides of the intermediate ring, comprising clamping levers pivoted on one driving ring and having their. outer arms operatively connected with the fly wheel, a shifting sleeve movable lengthwise on the driven sii'att, a brake collar arrangedon the shifting sleeve, and a shitting collar arranged-'01: said sleeve between said. brake collar and a shoulder on. said sleeve, substantially as set forth,

7. A friction clutch comprising a driving shait; 'a driven shaft, 9. fly wheel arranged on the driving-shaft, two driving rings connected with .the .fiy wheel, an intermediate driven ring nrrangedhetween the d1" :1; rings. means for engaging said driving rings with opposite sides of the irtermediate ring comprising clam1 inglevers pivoted on one nectell with the fly wheel, :1 shifting slr-eve movable l(-ugthwise on the driven shaft, 21 In-ukn collar arranged nu sukl plugs arranged in said openings and normally prejeelim,

with opposite ends beyond the sides of the intermediate clutch member when the outer cluLgzh members are released sleeve, a shifting Uuilill' arranged on suid sleievv hetwevn the front. side of the brake collar. and u rearwurdly facing shoulder on the sleeve. screw-nuls arranged on the sleere ln r0111 oi the brake cellar, and on lhe rear pan of 110 driven shaft, respectively, and :1. spring surrounding the driven shaft between said screw nuts, sulistzlni'iully us set forth. v S. A friction qlutch e'uumrisiug a1 rotary intermediate clutch member having openings extending entirely through the same, (.wo rotary uuter clutch members illlilljhidvio gri l opposite sides of the interim-diam member or releu u the same, null endwise' compressible uu l exnuusible fibrous fruui the intermediate clutch member and to he compressed flush willi the opposite f: es of the intermediate clutch 2O memlwr vheu the latter is engaged by the outer (-lul'ch 'nmmln; sullsLaulially a, seL forth.

Win10, s our hands this 210th day of January, 1906.

l l l i HERMAN .T. nxss l FREDERICK 1,. NICHRBAS. JAMES R. SHORT.

\Yilnvssvs .tlLIA M. 'lcnm nl'lzi 'limu. L. Pour.

' It is hereby certified that the name of th assignee in L etters Palaent No. 863,064, grnted August 13, 1907, upon the applicafion of, Herman J. Halss, Frederiek P.

I Nehrbas, anl James R. Shorty Buffalo, New? York, for an improvenlent in Fri tition Clutches, ivas erroneously written and printed E. R. Thomas Company, whereas I said name should have been written and printed E. Thomas Motqr Company; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record bf the c in the Patentoflicx I Sig mad and sealed this 17th day of September, A. D., 1907.

EAL] E. B. MOORE,

' v Commissioner of Patents.

(lqrrectlon in L et ters- Patent No.' 863,064.

nectell with the fly wheel, :1 shifting slr-eve movable l(-ugthwise on the driven shaft, 21 In-ukn collar arranged nu sukl plugs arranged in said openings and normally prejeelim,

with opposite ends beyond the sides of the intermediate clutch member when the outer cluLgzh members are released sleeve, a shifting Uuilill' arranged on suid sleievv hetwevn the front. side of the brake collar. and u rearwurdly facing shoulder on the sleeve. screw-nuls arranged on the sleere ln r0111 oi the brake cellar, and on lhe rear pan of 110 driven shaft, respectively, and :1. spring surrounding the driven shaft between said screw nuts, sulistzlni'iully us set forth. v S. A friction qlutch e'uumrisiug a1 rotary intermediate clutch member having openings extending entirely through the same, (.wo rotary uuter clutch members illlilljhidvio gri l opposite sides of the interim-diam member or releu u the same, null endwise' compressible uu l exnuusible fibrous fruui the intermediate clutch member and to he compressed flush willi the opposite f: es of the intermediate clutch 2O memlwr vheu the latter is engaged by the outer (-lul'ch 'nmmln; sullsLaulially a, seL forth.

Win10, s our hands this 210th day of January, 1906.

l l l i HERMAN .T. nxss l FREDERICK 1,. NICHRBAS. JAMES R. SHORT.

\Yilnvssvs .tlLIA M. 'lcnm nl'lzi 'limu. L. Pour.

' It is hereby certified that the name of th assignee in L etters Palaent No. 863,064, grnted August 13, 1907, upon the applicafion of, Herman J. Halss, Frederiek P.

I Nehrbas, anl James R. Shorty Buffalo, New? York, for an improvenlent in Fri tition Clutches, ivas erroneously written and printed E. R. Thomas Company, whereas I said name should have been written and printed E. Thomas Motqr Company; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record bf the c in the Patentoflicx I Sig mad and sealed this 17th day of September, A. D., 1907.

EAL] E. B. MOORE,

' v Commissioner of Patents.

(lqrrectlon in L et ters- Patent No.' 863,064.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 863,064.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in Letters Patent No. 863,064,

granted August 13, 1907, upon the application of Herman J. Hess, Frederick P. Nehrbas, and James R. Short, of Bullalo, New York, for an improvement in Frietion- Clutohea, was erroneously written and printed E. R. Thomas Company, whereas said name should have been written and printed E. Thomas Motor Company; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the some may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of September, A. D., 1907.

E. B. MOORE,

Commissioner of Patents.

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